Sadio Mane spent six years at Liverpool before joining Bayern Munich in 2022, and the Al-Nassr forward did not rule out a return to the Premier League after a "never say never" response to a question about Newcastle
08:27, 18 Jun 2026
Sadio Mane was previously asked about returning to the Premier League
Sadio Mane was previously asked about returning to the Premier League(Image: Getty Images)
Sadio Mane previously declined to dismiss the possibility of returning to the Premier League following his departure from Liverpool.
The 34-year-old forward spent eight years playing in English soccer before joining Bayern Munich in 2022. The Senegal international is presently concentrating on his nation's World Cup campaign. Mane and his teammates took on France on Tuesday and find themselves in a fascinating group alongside Norway and Iraq.
During his six-year spell with Liverpool, Mane established himself as one of the world's finest attacking talents, playing a crucial role in the Reds' triumphs in both the Premier League and Champions League under Jurgen Klopp. His subsequent move to Bayern proved challenging, with a difficult debut season in Germany sparking conjecture about what lay ahead.
It was while at Bayern that Mane encountered Newcastle supporter Martin Callanan, a Conservative life peer in the House of Lords.
Lord Callanan was delivering a speech at a conference in Senegal when he questioned the former Liverpool star about a potential switch to Newcastle in 2023.
In a post on X, the politician wrote: "I'm in Senegal speaking at the EITI conference. Honored to meet Sadio Mane in the hotel. I couldn't resist asking him about coming to Newcastle next season. His enigmatic reply: 'Never say never!'"
Mane chose to join Liverpool over Manchester United
Mane chose to join Liverpool over Manchester United(Image: Getty Images)
It might have simply been a courteous response from Mane, who joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr later that summer. Nevertheless, the forward hinted at the possibility of moving to another Premier League club during his exchange with Lord Callanan.
Man Utd agreement
Mane showed he was prepared to alter his transfer plans before joining Liverpool in 2016.
The forward subsequently revealed he had agreed terms to move to Manchester United from Southampton before opting for Liverpool instead.
"I was really close to going to Manchester United. I had the contract there," he recalled to The Telegraph in 2022. "I had it all agreed. It was all ready, but instead, I thought, 'No, I want to go to Liverpool.'
"I was convinced to go with Klopp's project. I still remember the first time I got the call from Klopp. He said, 'We have a big project at Liverpool, and I want you to be part of it.'"
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Former United manager Louis van Gaal later confirmed the club's interest in Mane. The Dutch manager spent two seasons at Old Trafford and departed shortly after claiming the FA Cup in 2016.
"Sadio Mane is a true team player, and this is the reason why I really wanted to sign him," Van Gaal told Dutch publication NOS in 2022. "These are difficult players to play against."
Mane has netted 51 times in 129 appearances during his three seasons at Al-Nassr. The experienced forward will be hoping to help Senegal progress beyond the World Cup group stages this summer.